The days have been cloudy and cool this week, and I decided to rechallenge myself to do one of my favorite things, which is to walk around Lake Mayer. Lake Mayer is a beautiful park in Savannah that has a huge walking trail surrounded by gorgeous, swaying trees and a breathtaking lake in the center. I go for the views, the fresh air, and to take time to reflect on life and have my own quiet time with God. My time at Lake Mayer was stifled within this last year by recovering from two neurosurgeries, which was a reminder – among other losses during this time – of what had stolen my confidence and assurance for any future of normalcy, purpose, and success. Have you ever felt as if something precious was ripped from you? Whether it was your health, your career, your finances, someone you love, or what may have given your life purpose and fulfillment – whatever it was, after the dust settled it may seem as if all you have left are the crumbs of what used to resemble your life.

I was focusing on the crumbs, which only made me aware of what was lost; and, even worse, it blinded my awareness of what was still yet to be gained amid this very important trial in my life. In moments like this, the Bible reminds us in Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally my brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” In times of adversity, it is the thoughts of the mind that are most vulnerable to attack. Quite plainly, there is evil in this world that will incessantly seek to destroy you. (John 10:10, Luke 22:31, 1 Peter 5:8) It will tempt you with influence; an attack of your mind, body, and spirit; and, an attack on your relationships and loved ones, all with the primary goal of killing everything in you that would allow you to realize your purpose and power in this life.

I decided to slay the giant that was Lake Mayer, and start slow. First, I could only go just a little down the path before I had to turn around and return to my car. I visited twice more with similar results and stopped. But, as I got stronger in recovery, I decided to try it again. This time, to my surprise, I walked the entire path. Midway, I almost gave out. I breathed deep, slowed down even more, and then passed an old man who was sitting on a bench along the way. He said,

“Just keep going young lady, that’s how you do it! Now, I want to see you out here tomorrow!”

The old man’s words strengthened me to finish the walk. It was the best feeling in the world to me. I had not walked the entire lake since my last surgery. This week, I walked it again, and the walk was easier than the last! It was a lesson learned. My crumbs of strength had allowed me to do what I thought my body could not. I made up my mind that the crumbs were more than enough to make a brand new loaf… so many loaves, in fact, that I could fill a bakery. Better yet, I believe those crumbs will make enough loaves to fill a warehouse for mass distribution!

This experience reminded me of a story in the fifth chapter of The Gospel of John, where Jesus encountered a man at the pool of Bethesda who had been lying there, paralyzed, for 38 years. I can imagine all he’d lost in that time – family, friends, wealth, purpose, and even joy, left with only the crumbs of what used to be his life and what it had been reduced to. People gathered at this pool every year at the same time, all suffering from various infirmities in the hopes that they would be the first to make it into the pool when they believed an angel would come down and stir the water and make healing possible. While they all sat around the pool waiting, Jesus approached the man who had been there the longest in John 5:6 and asked, “Do you want to be made well?” The man replied with many reasons why he could not be made well. No one would help him in, or every year when he tried to get there himself, others would step over him. However, The reasons did not matter to Jesus, as He did not entertain them. The man was still focusing on the crumbs. Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” The man’s obedience to rise strengthened his faith – as he then saw that Jesus replaced what he lacked with wholeness. He took up his bed, and he walked. Have you ever met adversity with faith? Have you ever challenged pain with possibility? Or, have you started over with nothing, just to see that the obedience and faith to start was all that was needed for God to do what you thought was impossible?

Life is an ebb and flow of mountains high and valleys low. We all have faced incredible challenges, adversity, and sometimes detrimental attacks on our lives that have left us with what looks like the crumbs of who we once were. But, I want to encourage you that who you were is always meant to evolve into who you are to become; and, that transformation is always painful. However, Christ shows us time and time again that if we are willing, we can get up from whatever has knocked us down. I implore you to hang on, rise up, and “just keep going”, so that you can see how he makes all things new and how he takes even the scantiest of crumbs to make an unending loaf of truth, life, power and purpose.